Lilly launches AI-powered Memory Radio Station in Europe

Generative AI recreates fading memories through storytelling

Memory is at the heart of a new Europe-wide public awareness campaign launched by Eli Lilly and Company, using music, storytelling and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to encourage people to recognise the early signs of Alzheimer's disease and seek help sooner.

The initiative, titled The Memory Radio Station, debuted at Palexpo in Geneva alongside the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress before embarking on a tour of cities across Austria, Germany, Italy and Belgium.

The travelling exhibition invites visitors to celebrate the memories that shape their identities while highlighting the importance of recognising even subtle changes in memory that could signal the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

A public space dedicated to preserving memories

At the centre of the campaign is Synthetic Memories, an immersive experience developed through a partnership between Lilly and creative research studio Domestic Data Streamers (DDS). Drawing on principles of reminiscence therapy, the project uses generative AI to recreate visual representations of personal memories that were never photographed or have begun to fade over time.

Visitors are invited into the Memory Radio Booth, where they share meaningful life stories and dedicate songs connected to important moments in their lives. Those stories are transformed into carefully crafted AI prompts that generate visual interpretations of the memories. Participants review and approve each image before it becomes part of a growing digital archive that expands as the exhibition travels across Europe.

The exhibition also features interactive installations focused on brain health alongside educational resources designed to improve public understanding of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive wellbeing.

Addressing Europe's growing Alzheimer's challenge

The campaign launches against a backdrop of growing concern over neurological disorders across Europe.

Disorders of the nervous system are now recognised as the leading cause of disability on the continent. Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, affected an estimated 9.5 million people in Europe in 2021, with that number projected to increase to 17.5 million by 2050.

Despite its prevalence, Alzheimer's disease remains significantly underdiagnosed, with many early symptoms frequently mistaken for normal ageing.

Stéphane Epelbaum, Vice President, Medical IBU Neuroscience at Lilly, said: "Memory is deeply personal, but Alzheimer's disease is a shared challenge that touches millions of families across Europe. With The Memory Radio Station campaign, we want to meet people where they are – in public squares, in conversation, in the songs and stories that shape their lives. Our hope is that by discussing memory openly, we encourage more people to take early changes seriously. Noticing and acting early can make a meaningful difference for individuals and the people who love them."

Encouraging lifelong brain health

The campaign also seeks to broaden public conversations around cognitive health beyond Alzheimer's diagnosis alone.

Paul Boon, Brain Health Mission Co-Chair at the European Academy of Neurology, said: "Brain health starts with awareness. By encouraging people to reflect on their memories and engage with them in new ways, we can foster a deeper understanding of how to protect cognitive wellbeing throughout life. Starting a conversation about memories is an opportunity to promote healthier brains for the future."

Airí Dordas, Lead Researcher at Domestic Data Streamers, highlighted the role of technology in preserving personal identity through storytelling. "Memories are fragile and connected to deeply personal experiences. They are everyday moments that remain central to our identities and sense of belonging. The Memory Radio Station brings conversations about our memories into public spaces through a new form of memory storytelling using generative AI to visualize them. That is what makes this campaign meaningful to us: memory as a collective conversation, because every memory is a reason for connection. By bringing those stories into public spaces, we hope to create new ways for people to reflect on memory, brain health and what it means to preserve the moments that shape us."

Combining science, storytelling and AI

The Memory Radio Station reflects Lilly's ongoing commitment to increasing public understanding of Alzheimer's disease and promoting earlier conversations about changes in memory and cognitive health.

Developed in collaboration with Domestic Data Streamers, the initiative brings together scientific expertise in Alzheimer's disease with immersive storytelling and generative AI technology to create an experience that encourages reflection while raising awareness of one of Europe's fastest-growing health challenges.

Lilly emphasised that the experience is neither a medical nor therapeutic intervention and is not intended to diagnose, assess or treat any condition. Personal information collected during participation is handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is not used for clinical research, commercial profiling or product promotion.

www.lilly.com

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